


Pressed Flowers

by Nary



Category: The Locked Tomb Trilogy | Gideon the Ninth Series - Tamsyn Muir
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hand Jobs, Insecurity, Light Angst, Loss of Virginity, Marriage, Multi, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Possibly Unrequited Love, Praise Kink, Terminal Illnesses, Threesome - F/F/M, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Wedding Night
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:34:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29274777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nary/pseuds/Nary
Summary: Camilla had been taken by surprise when Dulcinea Septimus agreed to marry Palamedes Sextus.  Perhaps the only person more surprised had been the Warden himself.
Relationships: Camilla Hect/Dulcinea Septimus/Palamedes Sextus
Comments: 12
Kudos: 31
Collections: Smut Bingo 2021, TLT Kink Meme





	1. Chapter 1

Camilla had been taken by surprise when Dulcinea Septimus agreed to marry Palamedes Sextus. Perhaps the only person more surprised had been the Warden himself. "I didn't think her House would give her permission to marry outside the Seventh," he said, staring at the letter which he hadn't put down in half an hour. He kept turning the piece of flimsy over and over in his hands, re-reading it in case it had changed:

 _Good news, my dears,_ it began. _They've said yes, and so I will also say yes! YES! Everyone has given up getting anything productive out of me at this stage, so I'll be allowed to come to the Sixth and live with you. Pro is relieved, I think, that I shall be safely off his hands soon, and in a situation where I can be comfortable and content for however long I have left. I can't wait to see you IN PERSON at last!_ There followed a number of mundane details about her travel plans, her expected arrival date, and what she would be bringing with her. The missive concluded with, _Hugs and kisses (which I soon hope to deliver directly), Dulcie._

"She's not bringing Protesilaus?" Camilla said. It made sense, she supposed, since Pro was married and had a family, and might not want to uproot them all to accompany his necromancer to another world. "So she won't have a cavalier at all, or will they assign her a different one?"

"I don't know, she didn't say." Pal re-read the letter for the twentieth time, even though he surely had it memorized by now. "I guess, if she doesn't have one... you could be hers as well as mine? I'm told the Third house twins share a cavalier, so there's some precedent, _one flesh, one end_ notwithstanding. If you wanted to, that is," he added, glancing at her over his glasses. "I know it would be an extra responsibility..."

"No, it sounds fine," Camilla said hastily. "If she wants to have me, that is." She had been secretly dreading the idea of having to figure out how to navigate around another cavalier, especially one who was older than her and might therefore think he was in charge. This would be an unusual arrangement, but then, the Warden was known for making unconventional choices. 

On the day Lady Septimus was to arrive from Rhodes, they both waited at the landing dock in their most presentable grey robes. Palamedes was nervous, unable to stay completely still, pacing and fretting. Camilla was more outwardly calm, but she was anxious too. This marriage was going to be a huge change to all of their lives, and one that couldn't easily be reversed if it turned out to be a mistake. Well, it could, but she'd need Pal to help hide the body after. 

The shuttle's descent felt unbearably slow. Finally, after approximately a myriad, it was there. The hatch opened and a slim, fragile woman in a frilly, fluttering turquoise dress and a pink scarf stood there smiling. She had a pair of crutches that clasped around her forearms, and used them to descend from the shuttle, moving rather more rapidly than Camilla would have imagined was prudent. Palamedes moved to embrace her and she hugged him back in return, flinging her arms around him, at least as much as she could with her crutches. "I can't believe I'm finally here!" she exclaimed, looking up at him with wide, weary blue eyes. 

She was very small compared to either of them, although their elder by a good seven years. Her pale brown hair was cut short, falling in gentle, wispy curls that barely covered her brow and the nape of her neck. She looked like a frail elf princess who was too delicate for this harsh world and might wither away if you so much as breathed on her, but she grinned with an enthusiasm that was contagious and more than a little bit wicked. When she turned to give Camilla a hug in turn, the cavalier was a little surprised, but returned the gesture.

"You must be exhausted," Palamedes said. "Was the trip hard on you?"

"It was miserable, but at least it's over now," Dulcinea replied. "I tried the idea you recommended to strengthen my diaphragm so I wasn't straining my intercostal muscles, and I made sure the humidity in the shuttle was set twenty percent higher than normal, but I still spent half the trip worried I was going to pass out and I'm so dehydrated I think my eyeballs are shriveling."

"Let's get you something to drink, then, and a chance to rest, while the rest of your things are being unloaded," he suggested, offering her his arm. She accepted it gracefully, removing her crutches and passing them to Camilla, who followed a step behind them as they headed into the Library. 

Once Dulcie had some hot tea and a comfortable chair to sit in, Pal and Cam were finally able to settle down too. The Warden's study was tidier than usual - he'd spent several days trying to straighten it up - and so there was room for them to sit on a sofa that was usually piled with books. 

"This is lovely, thank you," Dulcie said, and Cam had a momentary flashback to the way she'd written about being looked after by her cavalier and his family, about craving something more exciting than endless cups of tea and bouquets of flowers. 

"I'm just sorry we didn't have any dirty magazines or cigarettes to offer," she said, and was gratified that Dulcie laughed.

"I should have thought of that," Pal agreed. "At least the magazines. Cigarettes are still out of the question," he added, eyeing the tomes of his library nervously.

"Maybe later," Dulcie said with that impish smile of hers. "Right now, we need to talk, _really_ talk, about how this is going to work. I think it's best if we're all honest with one another, don't you?"

"Of course. I wouldn't want it any other way," said Pal, and Camilla nodded her agreement, although she wasn't sure what she was expected to contribute to this conversation between future spouses.

"All right. The first thing is, we all know I'm dying," Dulcie said, with the same level of emotion with which one might announce one was having soup for dinner. "I appreciate your valiant efforts to make this body last a little while longer, a little more comfortably, but it's all rather like putting on your breathing mask while the shuttle's crashing, isn't it? So I want to be very sure we all understand going into this that it's not going to last for ages and ages, and that I'm realistic with you about what I'm able to endure. And that when it's time for me to go, you'll let me go across the River with no hard feelings and, if you can manage it, a smile."

Dulcinea paused to sip her tea, letting them absorb that. "I understand," Palamedes said reluctantly. "No heroic measures to keep you alive once you say you're ready to move on."

"Exactly. Or if I decide that a treatment is too painful or stressful, then we let that one drop, even if you think it might buy me an extra month or two." She reached over and put her small hand over his. "I know it won't be easy for you, Pal. You're a problem-solver by nature, and I'm asking you to accept that some problems can't be solved. I'm sorry about that, but it really is the most important requirement for me."

"Alright," he said. "What else?" Camilla could tell he was bracing himself for something even worse to follow.

"Well, with that in mind, and within whatever constraints this stupid body will allow, I want to spend the time I have left doing exactly what I want. I've been coddled and sheltered and swaddled in blankets all my life, because my House hoped to get something useful out of me in my limited time and didn't want to waste any of what little energy I had. So from now on I don't want to miss out on something fun because you're worried about protecting me, and conversely I don't want to waste time doing anything that I despise. I'll let you know my preferences, I promise."

"That should be manageable."

"Good, I hoped you'd say that! And the last request, at least as far as I'm concerned, follows on rather naturally from the second one." She paused, overtaken by a brief coughing spell that rattled about in her lungs like marbles. Once she had recovered, she continued, "From now on, I want to have as much sex as I possibly can. With both of you, together or separately, as you prefer."

Camilla thought Pal might choke on his tea. She was relieved she hadn't been drinking hers, as a matter of fact. "Ah... I see," he said, once he'd finished coughing. "Both of us?"

"If that's okay," Dulcie said calmly. "I want to make up for lost time. Obviously if it's going to cause problems, then I'll confine myself to monogamy, but I do think it would be more fun if we could all get along."

Pal shot a look over at Cam in order to gauge her feelings on the matter. She gave him a subtle nod, an agreement that she wasn't opposed to the idea, so he turned back to his future wife. "That ought to be easier than the first request. We're good enough friends to manage something reasonable, I should think." The word 'friends' was like a knife in Cam's heart, but she hid it well, as always.

"I do hope so," Dulcie said, that pointed little grin appearing on her face once more. 

"Obviously Camilla and I wouldn't have sex," Palamedes added, as though it barely needed to be said. Camilla kept her face studiously impassive - she had considerable practice at it. "But you and I, and you and her - well, we could all work it out together, maybe?"

"We can handle the logistics later," said Dulcie. "I know I'm asking a lot of you both," she continued, with a wink. "I hope that it will be worth your while. But do you have any requirements of me, while we're in the painful honesty part of the discussion?"

Pal hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "I know this is more a practical arrangement for you than a romantic match... that my emotions where you are concerned are more intense than yours are for me. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but is it acceptable if I express those feelings verbally on occasion?"

"You want to tell me you love me," Dulcie said gently. 

"I don't expect you to say it back," he added, with a painful dignity that Cam recognized as him trying not to set his expectations too high. It hurt to see the hope that he was attempting to keep in check. "But it would make me happy to be able to say it to you."

"Of course, that's fine," she told him, squeezing his hand again. "My dear, I chose to come and spend whatever remains of my life here with you. I wouldn't have done that if I didn't care. Whatever affection I'm capable of, I give to you."

Pal nodded, moving along briskly to another subject. "Having children would be, I imagine, out of the question. I don't want to put additional strain on your system, after all."

"No," she agreed. "And as much as I'm sure the Sixth would love an infusion of new genetic material, I don't think mine is the best candidate, unless you like it served with a side of hereditary cancer."

Camilla cleared her throat. "Will you want me to be your cavalier? I didn't want to presume, but since you didn't bring Protesilaus..."

"Pro is a darling and would absolutely have come if I'd asked him to," Dulcie said. "But I couldn't imagine taking him away from his family, only to sit by my bedside and bring me clean handkerchiefs. I don't think I'll be so very hard to look after, if you're willing to take on the job."

"I'd be happy to," Cam said firmly. At least it was a way she'd be formally included - a part of their partnership, visible to everyone, not some sort of shameful secret. 

"I'm glad," Dulcie replied. She put down her tea so that she could reach out with her other hand and take Camilla's. Her touch was dry and delicate, like a pressed flower. "You two - hearing from you, writing to you - have been the main thing that's kept me sane for the past few years. I know it will take time to adjust to being together in person, but I'm looking forward to figuring it out together. And I haven't looked forward to anything in a very long while."


	2. Chapter 2

The Master Warden's wedding to Duchess Septimus was not an elaborate affair. Neither of them wanted a great deal of fuss, and the bride had no family in attendance. They held it in the Atrium of the Library, a grand but chilly room. The Warden's father Professor Ono came, and Archivist Zeta, and his younger brother Cadmus, who was like a miniature version of him. Camilla's fathers put in an appearance, as did a handful of other assorted instructors, librarians, swordspeople and scholars. Dulcie decorated her wheelchair with colourful ribbons and silk flowers, and wore a ridiculously ruffled white dress. Pal wore his best set of grey robes, ornamented with a slightly darker grey sash. Before the small crowd and a priest of the Divine Resurrection, they recited their vows.

"My heart is yours, my breath is yours, my blood is yours, and my spirit is yours. Let this day be the beginning of our lives together, as we are bound to one another in trust, devotion, and hope. And when our lives are ended and we await the rising of the River, let our bones lie mingled together in rest."

They exchanged rings, the priest pronounced them husband and wife, and Palamedes bent very low so he could kiss his bride. It was all over within a few minutes, barring the paperwork. The guests were affectionately appreciative and gave the newly wedded couple their congratulations, before leaving to go about the rest of their business for the day. 

The ritual to swear Camilla's oath as cavalier was an even simpler affair. Once the other guests had departed, she remained behind, with only Palamedes, Dulcinea, and the priest as a witness. Camilla drew her rapier, laying it across her chest, and took Dulcie's hand in her off-hand. "I swear to defend you and serve you faithfully as your cavalier, from this day forward. My sword will protect you and the strength of my arm will shelter you, for as long as I have the power to lift it. One flesh, one end." It felt strange to say those words to someone other than Pal, with him standing there smiling. Like some kind of minor betrayal, except that nobody else seemed to feel betrayed.

Dulcinea cleared her throat, a faint rattle of mucus being eased away, and said, "I swear to defend you and serve you faithfully as your necromancer, from this day forward. My divinely-granted power will keep watch over you and guide you, for as long as my soul endures. One flesh, one end." Her eyes twinkled as she opened a little fissure in her hand, and Camilla cut hers with her blade, so they could mingle their blood. 

Finally, after the ceremonies were concluded, the necessary documents signed and sealed, and everything had been tidied away, they were alone together. Camilla pushed Dulcie's chair through the long corridors of the Library, and Pal walked at her side, slowing his usual quick steps so that he didn't outpace her. The quiet they shared was intense, anticipatory and all edges, and none of them wanted to be the first to break it.

The Warden's bedchamber had been reconfigured to accommodate a third person, his narrow bed replaced with a large one that made the small room feel even smaller, and Camilla's bed slid down to the foot, in the more traditional location for a cavalier. Pal turned on the small lamp on his desk, rather than the overheads, giving the room a gentle glow. "I feel like I should say," he began nervously, "that I haven't done this before. I've read a lot of books," he added hastily, "but no hands on experience, so to speak."

This was of course not news to Camilla, who would have been excruciatingly aware if Pal had been having sex with anyone, but Dulcie gave a sigh of relief as she got out of her chair and climbed onto the edge of the bed. "Oh good," she said. "I haven't either, and I was a bit worried about being shown up by everyone else. Although I imagine the books I've been reading were not quite as scholarly as yours," she added with a mischievous grin.

Both of them looked over at Camilla, who was putting away her blades in the storage case she kept under her bed. "Hmm?" she said, straightening up.

"Well, you've had sex," Pal said hopefully. "So maybe you can, uh, provide remedial aid if it proves necessary?" 

"Nireids and Alexandrites get the most action, but yes, I have," Camilla shrugged with a feigned indifference. Swordsman's Spire was a hotbed of liaisons of all sorts, from casual to melodramatic. "It wasn't... anything like this. No one who mattered to me."

"Are you nervous too?" Dulcie asked her. "It's pretty common if you are. At least, that's what smutty novels tell me - and Pro and Mia." At the raised eyebrows of her new husband and cavalier, she giggled. "Well, who else was I going to ask about what I ought to expect out of my wedding night? They've been married for ages, of course, but they still remembered what it was like when they got married. Pro actually blushed! They said it was normal to be nervous, but that we should try to relax, and make sure to talk to one another, and have fun."

"Relaxing is likely to be a challenge right now," Pal said, setting his glasses aside, "but the rest we can probably manage."

Camilla had seen him undressed before, of course, and they'd shared a bed on many occasions, but this was considerably different. She felt like she ought to look away as he started to disrobe, then wondered if looking away would make things _more_ awkward, rather than less. She settled for trying to concentrate on other things, like helping Dulcie with her gown. "This ridiculous thing," said the young woman in mild frustration as she struggled with the buttons. "It looks pretty, but it isn't exactly easy to remove."

As Camilla helped unfasten the dress, Dulcie looked up at her with a playful smile and extended a hand to caress her face. "Thank you," she said, trailing her slim fingers across Camilla's cheek, which flushed warm at the unexpected gesture. "For all of this."

"It's no trouble," Camilla said, quickening the pace at which she unbuttoned Dulcie's dress. At last she was able to help her stand so she could slide it off. Underneath she wore a silky tank top sort of thing trimmed with lace, and a pair of matching underwear that were fancier than any clothing Camilla owned. Camilla wasn't really sure what to do with the ruffled gown once it was off, so she laid it carefully on her bed, where it wouldn't get crumpled. Her own ensemble, a robe over a simple pair of trousers and a hip-length tunic, required neither assistance nor attention to discard.

Pal had stripped down as far as his shorts, so she left hers on too, as well as the bandeau that she normally wore across her chest. The logistics of getting into bed took a few moments to arrange - Pal on the outer edge, Dulcie in the middle, and Camilla on the side nearest the wall. The mattress had been hauled out of some storage compartment and sagged a bit in the center, and Dulcie giggled as they rolled close to her in spite of their best efforts. 

"Try not to crush me," she teased, putting a hand on each of their chests. Then she turned her head up and kissed Pal on the lips, a soft but eager kiss. Camilla could hear how he drew his breath in as he slid his arm around her waist, the tenderness with which he returned his wife's gesture, and for a moment she didn't know how she could bear it, all of it, any of it. If she hadn't been stuck between them and the wall, she might have gotten up, but she couldn't, so she had to endure.

Then Dulcie fumbled for her, trying to draw her closer. Camilla clasped that dainty hand in hers, and Dulcie drew it up to her lips, kissing it. "You too," she whispered, or maybe it was, "You two." Camilla let herself be drawn in, kissing Dulcie's paper-dry lips as Pal watched the two of them. She didn't attempt to read his expression, trying to concentrate on the kiss instead. Dulcie slid her hand up to her chest, seeking out the hard press of a nipple underneath the taut, stretchy fabric of the bandeau, and Camilla shivered.

"Can you take this off?" Dulcie asked, looking up at her with hopeful anticipation. Cam nodded and tugged it down around her waist, since that was faster than pulling it off entirely. Her breasts spilled free and Dulcie gave a sigh of admiration. "So beautiful... I always wanted tits like this. Not huge, you know, but just a decent handful." She demonstrated by cupping one of Camilla's breasts in her hand, where it fit perfectly. "Instead all I got was a pair of insect bites," she said with a self-deprecating laugh and a gesture to her own more modest chest.

"You're beautiful, though," Pal said. "You both are." For all that he'd joked about losing Camilla to the Alexandrites, he'd never actually told her he thought she was beautiful, and she wasn't sure how to deal with it. He was probably just being polite, she told herself. 

"You're too sweet," Dulcie replied lightly, one hand still toying with Camilla's nipple as she turned to kiss him. "Help me get the rest of my things off?"

Palamedes rose to his knees so he could help lift her hips and slide the lacy underwear off, tossing them aside. Camilla took charge of her top, easing it up and over her head. Dulcinea's body was frail and delicate underneath the lingerie, her ribs and hipbones visible beneath her pale skin, her breasts small and pointed. Pal was thin too, but it was the careless thinness of someone who spent most of his time sitting at a desk, rarely lifted anything heavier than a pencil, and had to be reminded to eat occasionally. Dulcie's was the thinness of a body consuming itself from the inside out. Camilla felt large and ungainly next to them both.

With Pal kneeling in front of them, it was acutely obvious how hard he was, even though he still had his underwear on. "It isn't fair that you're still dressed, Master Warden," Dulcie teased, lifting one of her feet to hook it into the waistband of his shorts. Pal gave a nervous grimace and tugged them off. His cock caught for a moment in the loose fabric and sprang up like a catapult when it came free. Dulcie and Camilla made eye contact, trying very hard not to laugh, since it seemed rude.

"Come closer," Dulcie said, reaching for him. Obligingly, he crept towards her until she could curl her fingers experimentally around his cock. "Does that feel nice?" she asked, giving him a gentle stroke. 

Her touch sent a tremor through his body, and he braced himself against Camilla's knee to keep from tipping over on the sagging mattress. She closed her eyes when he touched her, even though it was incidental, as though she was a convenient bedpost. "Yes," he gasped. "Keep doing that..."

"If you keep on going," Camilla said, trying to act casual, like she wasn't talking about the person who had been her best friend since childhood, "Pal might come before he has a chance to do anything else. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though," she continued, "if you want the eventual sex-sex to last longer than thirty seconds."

"I think that sounds lovely," Dulcie said with a grin. "Ooh," she gasped, turning her attention back to Pal, "is this what they mean in the books when they talk about it throbbing?" 

Camilla had never been particularly interested in that kind of book, so she had no idea. "Maybe? Keep doing whatever you're doing, I guess. He seems to like it."

Palamedes nodded frantically. "Just like that, that's good!" His grip on Camilla's leg tightened, and she could feel him trembling with tension. She couldn't quite bring herself to look at his face - somehow, it felt more intimate, more intrusive than looking at his cock. Within a few moments, Dulcie gasped as he came in a hot burst across her stomach. As he fell carefully to one side, so as not to crush his bride, Camilla tugged her bandeau the rest of the way off and offered it to Dulcie so she could clean herself off. 

"That was incredibly fascinating," Dulcie said, as Pal caught his breath. She dabbed delicately at her stomach and tossed the bandeau aside, onto the floor. "I didn't know it would be so... sticky. Not a feature mentioned in romance novels, typically."

"I need a few minutes to recover," Pal said, "but then I should be able to, ah, perform any further services you might require."

"Lovely," Dulcinea told him, patting his arm affectionately. "In the meantime, maybe we can amuse ourselves?" she said, turning to Camilla with a smile. 

"Sure," Camilla said. "What do you want to do?"

"There are so many options... Would you like to go down on me?" Dulcie looked a little nervous at the suggestion, as if she was worried Camilla might object. 

"I'd be glad to," Camilla told her, leaning in for a kiss, trying to put her worries to rest. Just because she felt like an anxious mess was no reason for Dulcie to feel the same. She eased her way down the bed, moving carefully to avoid banging into anyone on the way. She moved Dulcie's legs gently, helping her get into a more accommodating position. When she glanced up she could see that Pal had his arm around her, supporting her so that she could sit up slightly and see what was happening. He was whispering something to her, and she was smiling, and Camilla felt that glimpse of their intimacy like a blow to the chest. Was this what she had agreed to - what she was now going to face every night? Being down at the foot of the bed like a good cavalier, ready to serve her necromancers, but always just that little bit on the outside?

 _Don't be an idiot,_ Camilla told herself. _They're allowed to talk to each other._ Trying not to dwell on stupid feelings that were pointless, she positioned herself between Dulcie's skinny thighs. "Ready?" she asked, and received a nod in response. Fingers brushing against the soft, wispy hair that covered her pussy, she teased Dulcie's lips open and began to lick her. Having her face buried in between her legs was a good distraction, an excuse for not watching whatever else they were doing.

Dulcie was so wet already, it didn't take much to get her worked up. Camilla circled her clit with her tongue, making her gasp and shiver. There was something about licking her, knowing that Palamedes was going to fuck her afterwards, that was unspeakably, queasily hot. Something about the combination of knowing that she was getting his wife ready for him but also that _she was there first,_ that she was going to fuck his wife before he did, and he'd have to follow her. She wasn't particularly proud of that thought, but it did make things a little easier, especially when she glanced up and saw them kissing, and Pal's hand covering one of her tiny breasts.

 _Don't get jealous of them, it doesn't do any good,_ she reminded herself. She refused even to let herself think about whether she was jealous of Dulcie or of Pal or both. Instead, she redoubled her efforts, diving in more vigorously until her mouth was coated with Dulcie's juices and her jaw ached. When she slid a finger inside her, Dulcie squirmed and whimpered in discomfort, tensing up, so Cam took her time before adding a second finger alongside the first. She was so tight, but with some effort and patience, she started to loosen up, and the sounds of what had been discomfort had turned to eagerness. _Pal's cock is going to be in here soon, will she be able to handle that?_ Camilla wondered. It made her feel even more obliged to do a good job and make sure Dulcie was as wet and ready as she could be. She didn't want their first time to be unpleasant for either of them. _Even when you're jealous, you can't stop being a good cavalier,_ the voice in her head mocked her.

Finally, when Dulcie was gasping for breath and begging for more, Cam drew herself up. It was hard to resist the urge to finish her off herself, but she wasn't sure if the frail necromancer would have the energy for another round, and didn't want to stand in the way of their marriage being properly consummated. If she accidentally cock-blocked Palamedes, she'd feel terrible. "Do you really want more?" she asked Dulcie, who nodded desperately. Glancing over at Pal to make sure he was ready to go, she met his gaze and he gave her a smile that was both grateful and heartbreaking.

Camilla slid gracefully out of the way so that Palamedes could take her place between Dulcie's legs. "Go slow," she cautioned him, and he nodded, trying to arrange his long limbs and bony frame in such a way that he wouldn't be accidentally elbowing anyone or crushing his wife in the process. His height compared to her small size was a bit on the inconvenient side, in Cam's opinion, but not so bad that they couldn't find a way to make it work. 

Dulcie fumbled around so that she could clasp Camilla's hand. Her blue eyes were wide, pupils dilated and her pale skin had a sheen of sweat and a pink flush that made her look vaguely feverish. "I want this," she whispered, "so much..."

Pal followed her instructions to take things slowly, devoting every fraction of his exquisite attention to analyzing each flicker of expression and fleeting sound Dulcie made. Once she squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth and he froze completely, but after a moment she reached up to stroke his face and said, "It's okay, keep going." Camilla felt, again, like she was intruding in the most intimate of moments between them, but Dulcie was still holding her hand too, squeezing it tight, and Pal kept occasionally glancing in her direction like he was waiting for instructions or maybe even hoping for her approval. She tried to smile for him, and squeezed Dulcie's hand back in return, and did her best to be there for them, to be what they needed in that moment.

She could tell when Pal made it all the way inside Dulcie, when they gave matching little gasps of satisfaction. She also knew that, as close as Dulcie had been to coming only a short while ago, it wouldn't take much to bring her back up to the brink. Pal had his eyes closed and was trembling, working hard to steady his breathing, trying to keep from thrusting until he was given permission. "Ready?" she asked, and both of them nodded. Cam rolled onto her side, still holding tight Dulcie's hand, and laid her free hand on the small of Pal's back, helping to guide his pace and the angle of his thrusts, making him go slowly at first as he started to rock his hips. 

Dulcie cried out, arching her back, and Camilla could feel Pal hesitate, but pressed him to keep going. "Good?" he asked, seeking added reassurance, his voice hoarse and breathless, and Dulcie said, "Yes!" 

"I don't want to hurt you," he managed to get out, and both Dulcie and Camilla replied as one, "You're not."

Encouraged, he followed Camilla's guidance, moving faster as she urged him on. Turning her attention back to Dulcie, Cam bowed her head to kiss her small breasts, sucking one delicate little nipple into her mouth. Dulcie's squeal could have shattered glass, and she was shaking all over. It would only take a little more to make her come, and Camilla knew just what she needed. She took her hand off Pal's back, trusting that he could figure it out from here, and instead eased her fingers between them, gliding down Dulcie's body to rest on her mound and tease her clit. She could feel the friction between them, the heat and wetness and the way Pal's stomach grazed against the back of her hand with each increasingly frantic stroke he made. Dulcie gave a violent shudder, her entire body convulsing with pleasure. Pal couldn't hold himself back at that, and came inside her with a volley of trembling thrusts.

Camilla drew back for a moment when they had finished, letting them savour the aftershocks and the relief together. "I love you," she heard Palamedes whisper, and Dulcie kissed his forehead in return. It was a touching moment, one that made Cam have to look away and close her eyes.

She was just about prepared for everyone to be done for the time being, and had braced herself for a long night of restless frustration, when Dulcie said, "But we can't leave Camilla out! That isn't fair." 

"Especially not when she helped so much," Pal agreed. "I'm not sure if we could have done that without her. At least, not so competently."

"You told me she was the best cavalier ever, but I don't know if I believed it until tonight," said Dulcie with a twinkle in her eye.

Camilla thought she might spontaneously combust on the spot. She wasn't used to this much attention, and she could feel the warmth spreading from her face to her ears, throat, and everywhere else. "I'm just glad I could help," she said modestly.

"Well, I want to help you too," Dulcie told her. "I'm not too tired yet." She kissed Camilla, sliding one small hand down to tease her over the panties she was still wearing. "How do you still have these on?" she demanded playfully. Camilla didn't waste any further time in taking them off, giving Dulcie free access to her pussy. She hadn't fully realized how soaked she was until Dulcie's fingers slipped between her lips. "Show me how you like it," Dulcie asked, and Cam was happy to oblige, guiding her hand in the ways that would feel best.

That would have been fine - already more than she expected - but she nearly died when she happened to open her eyes and realized Palamedes was watching them. He seemed to appreciate the sight, however blurry it might be for him without his glasses, but he didn't try to interfere, at least not physically. He did, however, say in a low, tender voice, "You're doing so well, Cam. So good. You can let go now."

As if she'd been waiting for the order, Camilla came, her orgasm unleashed by his voice and Dulcie's touch. She shuddered through wave after wave until finally she lay there spent, gasping for air and utterly drained. Dulcie seemed pleased with herself, nestling down beside her and planting a kiss on her cheek, while Pal did the gentlemanly thing, getting up to fetch everyone a drink of water, turn off the light, and rearrange the blankets so that everyone was comfortable before he got back into bed.

Having been so sure not ten minutes before that she wouldn't sleep a wink that night, Camilla was out like a light as soon as her head hit the pillow.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr at [naryrising](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/naryrising) if you want to ask questions, make requests, or chat!


End file.
